Koaoway fob vehicles



AR. H.0BAnR. ROADWAY FOR VEHl-CLERS. ,APPLICAAION FILED OCT. 18. 1913- RENEWED APR. 20,1916; 1,19E5,9, l=8.`

Y Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

. attozncu n. H. Gimme-. L a ROADWAY Fon VEHICLES. *APPLICATONwl-ILED OCT. 18.' |913. 'RENEWED APR. 20 |916.

Patentedmg, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2:

mcAfmJfn. wenn, or HARPR, TEXAS.

citizen ot the United Htates, residing at llarper,-1n thecounty ot' Gillespie and State of 'leixas` have invented certain new and usel'ul lmprovementsin Roadways for Ve'- f a pavement f1 automobiles, wagons, trucks and other two or tour wheeled vehicles to travel upon, tlms practically supplyingk a A road `pa veillent at the cost of laying parallel rails longitudinally ot' the road-way a-t a sulhclent distance apart to carryfthe wheels within their tread. Features ot' this class of .road-way that l-claim to have covered in myV construction shown by the drawings aecompanying this specification include a road rail having sullicient width and design of tread to zu'commmlate and receive'the ditter` eut gages ol' the wheels of vehicles ordinarily used upon public lnglnvays; a l'oad rail provided with flanges upon each side ol the tread thereof tor the purpose. of retaining and directingthe wheels of vehicles upon the. track; inclined surfaces approaching the flanges upon each side otl the tread ot' the rail t'or the. purposeet supporting l and leading the wheels ot' the vehicle to and lrom the adjacent road-\\'ay 'surface and the track;` a road rail provided with [langes for the retention of the wheel or vehicle, so located,dcsigmd and combined with the. tread and inclined surfaces ot' the rail and with the. adjacent road-way. as to admit ot the wheels ol" a. vehicle readily mounting `or leaving the rail ot thetrack asalesired; a road rail ol such design, magnitude and w'eight that when embedded in the road-way will remain tirm and stationary under the action ol' the. wheels oll a. moving vehicle, and willsupport heavy loads; a road rail so constructed as to be readily and securely lamped and packed in a lurmanent position to give. economy ol maintenance and sup-k portheavyloauls and provide easy and rapid transit thereover; a. road rail so constructed as to be. readily maintained in true. alinenlent; ay road laxil that can be molded and 'made of suitable weight,l dimension and shape to contorni to the-usual requirement of the same as well as to provide. 'tor curves,

Specification of Letters Patent.

ROADWAY son VEHICLES. V

Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

012. :Renewed Apri12o,1s16. serialmaassa.

angles, corners, switches.' and the like; and finally a'plastic road rail, the original cost and maintenance of which is small in comparison with the metallic rails heretoforer employed for this purpose.

The above and additional objects are acncomplished by such means as are illustrated in their preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, ydescribed in the follow- `ing specification and'k then more particularly pointed out' in the claim which 'is appended hereto and forms'a part of this application.

In describing my invention in detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,` and in which Figure l is a top plan view of a road-way constructed in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a'section on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of a portion of one/of the plastic rails embodiedfin the sent invention; Fig. 4 is a detail perspectlve view of a plastic rail chair employed for the purpose of supportingthe plastic rais; and F ig. 5 is a top plan view -illustratinggtl1e switch' arrangement in use where a single pair 4of `longitudinally cxtending rails are employed.

Referring now to the drawings wherein is illustrated the preferred embodiment of my intention the numeral 1 designates the level of the earth or ground upon which the roadway comprising the present invention' is to be built. Sulliciently spaced, and disposed to extend in parallel relation, I providek a pair of plastic rails, designated in their entirety by the numeral 2. The tread of each rail 2 is provided with a longitudinally ex# tending 'groove 3 ot' suitable size and of 'a configuration lo' yconform with the outline of the vehicle wheel mlapted' to travel thereupon. By the provision ot' the groove 3, it is apparent that ridges or langes 4 are Jformed upon each side o't' the'ruil 2, the same providing a retaining element whe'leby the wheels of the vehicle traveling,` o er the road-way are maintained against late'ral or side-wise movement and within the groove 2S provided therefor. An inclined conduit or opening 5 is formed within the outer [lange 4Y ot the rail at intervals throughout its length to 't'orm a. means whereby proper drainage ot the said rails may-,be etl'ected.

The. side. walls (l ot the rail 2. are tapered as shown, thereby providing a rail base, the

i y hereinafter :Eully described. The said chair 7 is preferably composed ofcement and other plastic compositions to form a bed extendnig longitudinally throughout the length ot' the rail 2, the said chair having integrally lformed upwardly and inwardly projecting flanges 8 so disposed with respect to the rail 2 as to overlap the lateral faces thereof as is illustrated to advantage in Fig. 2 ofthe drawings. The arrangement of the rail 2 within the chair 7 provided therefor, both being embedded in the roadway, provides a positive retaining element or securing means whereby the said rails are maintained in "parallel spaced relation and incapable of spreading.

Between the rails 2 a filling 9 of any suitable material is provided, the said filling serving to maintain the said rails incapable of relative inward lateral movement, as well as providing means whereby the vehicle traveling thereover may, if desired, leave the rails and'travel upon the road-way adjacent thereto. Upon the outside of the rail 2 a iilling 10 is provided the same being 'inclined from the level of the ground to a point ngen the same plane as the outlet 5 aforesai This arrangement of the filling 10 provides for the passage of the vehicle from and to the rai 2, at the same time `providing a cover or inclosur for the chair 7 arrangedtherebeneath.

In construction, the 'plastic material of which tlie rails and chair 7 are composed, is molded, preferably in sections, of any desired length, the same being then positioned in Mparallel spaced relation and the fillings 9 and l0`then arran ed.

Particular attention -isca led tothe factY that ,the original cost as well as the cost `oi maintenance andrepair, should the latter be necessary, is reduced to a minimum, and that the many objectionable features now manifest wherein metallic rails are employed are completely overcome, asrusting, expansion, spreading, aswell as upkeep are either completely obviatedlor materially reduced. i

Referring now particularly to Fig. 5 of lthedrawmgs, branch. or switch rails have been provided, the same being adapted for use wherein but a single track or roadway is enniloyed,- thus permitting the passing" of vehicles'travelmg in an opposite direction, or if necessary, in the same direction, without one of the vehicles leaving the track.

From the above, taken in connection with longevity cfa road-way construction in the,

manner above set forth is of such duration as to be almost permanent in its nature.

In reduction to practice, I have ounrLthat the form of my invention, illustrated in the drawings and referred to in the above description, as the preferred embodiment, is the most eiiicient and practical; yet realizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of my device will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize the fact that various minor changes Vin details of construction, roportion and arrangement of parts may e resorted to, when required, without sacrilcing any of the advantages of my inventiolnlas defined in the appended claim.

Having thus fully described my invention,

-what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:-

A vehicle track including a plastic rail having a longitudinal groove formed therein, n

the mentioned groove in cross section conforming approximately to the configuration of a vehicle tire, the extensions formed by and at each side of said groove being pro? vided with rounded bearing surfaces, each of the said extensions terminating upon the same horizontal plane, the respective lateral faces of the rail being formed at an angle to the vertical and diverging toward the rail base, the said rail being provided with a drain opening leading outwardly `from the groove for the purposespeciiied, and a plastic rail chair] `having a longitudinal dove-tailed groove formed therein within which the rail is seated, the engagement of the chair with the rail yroviding for the retention of the latter, su stantially as described.

In `testimony whereof I aliix my signature in'presence of'two witnesses,

Y RICHARD H. OBARR. Witnesses:

O'rro Ruim, Washer O. Tanon. 

